Like Philip Stratford’s All the Polarities, which compares novels in French and English Canada, A Tale of Two Countries undertakes a cross-cultural comparison as well, examining Canadian and American novels. One of the first studies of Canadian literature in a continental context, the book’s critical standpoint and polemical tone are likely to inspire further readings in Canadian-American literary relations. Among the authors dealt with are Robert Kroetsch, Margaret Atwood, Robertson Davies, William Grass, and Robert Coover. York University’s Clara Thomas feels the Kroetsch reading alone is worth the price of admission.